Smoke from a wildfire eight kilometres west of Teulon, Man., on Friday. Lois Downey's house, garage, workshop and barn were destroyed in the blaze. (Vera-Lynn Kubinec/CBC)

A Teulon, Man., woman says she and her family are grateful to be alive, even though they lost their farm and home in a brush fire this past weekend.

Lois Downey's house, garage, workshop and barn were destroyed after the wildfire consumed her property, located about eight kilometres west of Teulon, on Friday.

"The grass was so dry and the bush was so dry, and it caught the corners of our buildings on our land," Downey told CBC News on Sunday.

"It took the barn first. It just kept on coming."

But Downey said although her family has lost everything in the blaze, they are happy everyone — including their dog — was unharmed.

"We're just grateful that we weren't there," she said.

"We would have been trying to put it out, not realizing how fast a prairie fire can go. So we're just glad that we're safe."

Downey said the family does have insurance.

Dry across southern Manitoba

Since Friday, 30 local fire departments have responded to various wildfires across the province.

The South Beach Casino and Resort was evacuated and some highways were closed as firefighters worked on the blazes.

Robert Pike, Manitoba's deputy fire commissioner, said all of southern Manitoba is parched right now because of "dry conditions in the fall, followed by very little snow, and now dry conditions with little rain."

Pike said cooler temperatures being forecast for Monday should help with the current situation. Still, it's extremely important that people respect the fire bans that several municipalities have put in place, he added.

"In some of these types of dry conditions, anything you do — burning garbage, burning leaves, even using ATVs in dry grass — can start fires," he said.

"We're also advising people to dispose of their smoking materials properly. Rather than throwing them out your car window, make sure they're out."